Note: Thanks to crazy4nc128, anne918, katie, and Banksiesbabe99 for your
reviews of Chapter 12. I figured as I've let you know how Connie's and
Guy's family problems are working out I'd devote a chapter to the
Bombay/Banks/Conway issue. Enjoy!
Adam's POV:
Man I hated being sick, I thought to myself as I went into my room and laid on the bed. I've always been an active kid. Always keeping busy. Now the most simplest everyday thing would wear me out.
And I had just found out that I had two finals that I would probably have to retake when I finally got to go back to school. My mom had stopped by to tell me about that. She and Gordon had just come from meeting with Dean Buckley. Apparently I hadn't done so great on some of the other finals but the math and history were really bad. Which I kind of figured they would be as I didn't finish a lot on the questions on either one of them. Both my Mom and Gordon had told me not to worry about the finals, that everything would work out. I just wished I could take their advice. As soon as my Mom had left I had retreated in here.
I glanced over at my desk where my schoolbooks sat in a pile. Just looking at them right now made me feel worn out. Today was Wednesday. School was starting in six days but as of right now I didn't even know if I would be able to go back to school then. I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and I'd find out then.
I tried to forget about school but when I did I found myself thinking about my other problems. I still couldn't forget Charlie's words at the pond last week -"And you're keeping my mom and Coach Bombay apart. I wish you weren't even in the picture. You're ruining everything." Was he right?
I had come to stay with Gordon because I had managed to screw things up with my family. Hell, how many fifteen year olds managed to get their own father to disown them. Not too many. I should've just gone along with what he wanted and not played hockey for the rest of this season. Hockey hadn't been much fun here recently anywhere. It had seemed like no matter how hard I tried it hadn't been good enough for Dad. Maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was. Maybe I should just do what Anthony had done and picked something else for a career. And who knows, maybe if I wasn't staying with Gordon, he and Ms. Conway would be busy planning a wedding, Charlie wouldn't be mad at me for messing things up. Something that I knew he really wanted - a real family. Just because I screwed things up with my family what right did I have to screw that up for Charlie.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.
"Yeah," I called out not moving from the bed. I really didn't have the energy right now to move.
The door opened and Gordon put his head in. "I'm getting ready to start dinner. Anything in particular you wanted me to make?"
"No it doesn't matter," I told him.
With a shrug he started closing the door. As he did I finally got up the nerve to say what I've been wanting to say for the last couple of days. "Gordon, I think I want to go back home," I said quickly before I could chicken out. Gordon opened the door and immediately came into the room.
"Is that what you really want?" he asked me.
"Yeah," I said looking at the wall and not him.
"I don't believe you Adam," Gordon said quietly. "What's really going on?" he asked. With a sigh I sat up on the side of the bed and he sat down next to me.
"I just don't think this arrangement is working out. I think it would be better if I was with my family," I told him. Sure, I'd be a stranger in my own house but I won't be ruining things for other people, I added silently to myself.
"Is it something that I've said or done?" Gordon asked. I shook my head no. "Have you talked to your Dad lately?" Again I shook my head no. I had no intentions of talking to him ever again unless he made the first move. "Then I can't in good conscious let you go back, Adam. You ran away because of how things were there and if nothing has changed with your Dad then I know you're going to be no happier there then before."
"But me being here is ruining things for you," I said quickly.
"Adam, what are you talking about?" Gordon asked sounding confused.
"Its something Charlie said at the pond," I said and immediately noticed a look of understanding finally cross his face but he didn't say anything, just let me continue. "He said that I was keeping you and his mom apart. I don't want to do that. Its not fair to any of you."
"Adam, you being here is not keeping Casey and I apart. Yes it changes things, may make things a little more complicated but that doesn't mean I don't want you here."
"Really?" I asked him not exactly convinced.
"Really," he told me putting his arm around my shoulder. "Adam, we've already told Charlie this and I was waiting to tell you but I think I put it off too long. Casey and I are engaged. We are going to get married but I wanted to put off telling you and Charlie so that you could get more adjusted to being here. I didn't want to disrupt things on you again. Charlie overheard part of my conversation with Casey on that topic and jumped to the wrong conclusion. I don't think I have to tell you that Charlie has wanted me and his mom to get together for years and he got angry when he thought that it was going to fall through again. I don't think he was ever really mad at you but you were the easiest target. I'm not trying to defend what he did just explain things," Gordon said.
I just nodded again. I didn't know what to say. Gordon waited a few moments, probably waiting to see if I would say anything and then he told me, "I'm going to call Casey and see if she and Charlie can come over at some point tonight. I think all four of us need to sit down and talk about this," he said standing up. "You going to be okay."
"Yeah," I told him.
"Okay," he said leaving my room and leaving me alone with my thoughts again. I laid back down and tried to sort out exactly what I was feeling about everything that was going on.
Charlie's POV:
After the game at the pond Fulton and I had walked to his house together. I ended up hanging out at his house longer than I originally planned as I walked back to my apartment building I knew I was already late for dinner. My mom was not going to be happy as this was one of the nights that she didn't work and we could actually have dinner together.
I took the steps up to my apartment two at a time. I opened the door to the apartment calling out, "Sorry I'm late."
I had been expecting to find my mom waiting impatiently for me, dinner already done and the dinning room table already set. Instead I found my mom sitting on the couch. The dinning room and kitchen were both dark.
"Charlie, I'm glad you're finally home," she said standing up. I was starting to worry. Something wasn't right. I wanted to ask what was wrong but decided not to interrupt her. "Gordon called. He wants you and me to come over so we can all talk about things," my mom told me.
"Adam started to ask questions about what I said at the pond didn't he?" I asked although I already knew the answer. Why else would Coach Bombay be so insistent that we all talk.
"Not directly," my mom told me. "Seems he told Gordon that he wanted to go back to his family and when Gordon questioned him about it he found out that Adam only wanted to go back because he didn't want to ruin things between me and Gordon. Gordon's already told him that we're engaged and that he is still welcomed but he wants us all to talk things out."
"I'm sorry Mom," I told her. I couldn't help but feel like this whole mess was my fault.
"It's okay Charlie," she said. "Why don't we just head over to Gordon's and we can get this straightened out completely."
"Okay," I said. I waited for her to put her coat on as I still had mine on and then we headed out to the car together.
You know, there was plenty of times that I imagined how my mom and Coach Bombay would finally get together. Yes, even when she had gotten remarried during the short time that Coach Bombay had been playing minor league hockey, I had never given up on my fantasy of them getting together. I had come up with many scenarios but this had never been one of them. As far as I had known Adam had always had the perfect family life. I had never realized how bad his relationship with his father had been. And Adam being Adam had never volunteered the information. I was starting to wonder if this would ever work out. This whole situation was starting to remind me of a jigsaw puzzle. We were trying to fit the pieces together but would they ever go together. Did we have all the pieces. Could the four of us actually become a family or was it all just wishful thinking.
My mom and I didn't talk much on the drive over to Bombay's place. I figured she was probably thinking about things like I had been. Was she having the same thoughts? Was she starting to have her doubts to? I didn't dare ask. I didn't want to know the answer.
Gordon's POV:
I looked at the clock again. I thought about calling Casey again and see what was keeping her but I knew the answer. Charlie had been out with his friends. Casey had said they would be over as soon as he got home. But it was starting to get late. Shouldn't he have been home by now?
Just then I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed to answer it and was glad to see Casey and Charlie when I opened the door. It seemed like ever since the beginning I had messed this relationship up. First, I had been a jerk of a coach. Then once Casey had started to accept me I got off to join the minors which still wouldn't have been bad if maybe I had written or called while I was gone. I came back to find out that she had remarried. We still had remained friends and when she had told me that her marriage to Al wasn't going to well I thought maybe I would have a second chance. But I was messing my second chance up almost as bad. Although this time I did have help. I wasn't going to give up on this though. I'd make this work no matter how long it took. Make it work out for all four of us.
"Come on in," I said to Casey and Charlie ushering them into the apartment. I took their coats from them and asked, "Can I get you anything to eat or drink." I had long forgotten about making dinner. All I wanted to do was get things sorted out. They must have felt the same way because they both refused.
"I'll go get Adam," I told them and headed toward his room. I didn't bother to knock because I knew from checking on him earlier that he had fallen asleep. I walked over to his bed and gently shook his shoulder.
"Adam," I said softly. "They're here," I told him when he opened his eyes. "You feel up to this?" I asked him. His eyes looked a little red and puffy like he had ended up crying himself to sleep.
"Yeah," he said sitting up. "I'll be right there," he told me.
"Okay," I said and went back into the living room to wait with Casey and Charlie.
Charlie's POV:
Gordon came back out of Adam's room a few minutes later and sat down in the arm chair next to the couch where my mom and I was sitting. No one said anything. Shortly after that Adam came out of his room and sat down on the couch beside me. He looked worn out and his eyes looked red and puffy like he had been crying. I wanted to say something to him but I didn't know what to say.
I saw my mom and Coach Bombay exchange glances and then with a slight nod Coach Bombay was the one who started the conversation.
"This was not how we had planned on telling you kids but it happened and its no one's fault," he said looking at me. I still couldn't help but feeling a little bit guilty. "I think now we just need to figure out how to proceed from here and I think the best way for us to do that is to make sure all of us know how the others feel about what's going on."
Coach Bombay looked around at all of us. I know I nodded and I could see Adam nod beside me. I couldn't see my mom's reaction but I think she was probably willing to go along with whatever Coach Bombay said at this point. I know I was.
"Let me start things out," Coach said continuing. "I love Casey. I have since I met her and now that I've gotten my second chance to make things work I'm not going to mess it up this time but Adam I also care about you. In a way I feel like everything that has been happening to you lately with your father is partly my fault. Maybe I never should've pointed out that you should've been playing for district five back then but at the time I never dreamed it would have come to this. Until your father comes around I can't, with a good conscious let you go back there because I know, no matter what you say, that it isn't what you want. If it was you never would have run off that night."
"I'm glad you pointed out to the league that the line changes put me in district five," Adam said from beside. "Maybe I should've have said so years ago but it just never seemed to come up. Playing for the Ducks was the best thing that ever happened to me. Yeah, it was hard at first but in the long run I made better friends on the this team than I ever had on the Hawks. Sure we've had our problems but in the end they were there for me when I needed them. They became my friends because of who I am not because our families were in the same circles or because my family had money. In fact, I'd have to say they became my friends in spite of the fact my family has money," Adam said.
That last comment brought a smile to my face. I couldn't help it. Most of us Ducks have always been vocal about our thoughts about rich people, especially me. And at the beginning that was one of the biggest problems we had with Banks. His family was rich. Then we got to know him. Sure, I still go off on my tangents about people who I think are preppy snobs (that little bit has been getting plenty of use at Eden Hall) but I don't even think of Adam as belonging in that group anymore. He's different. He judges people based on who they are. The only thing I ever found annoying about him was that he took his family being rich for granted. He didn't flaunt it, its just that was how he grew up. It was what he knew.
"As for my Dad," Adam said continuing, "he has always pushed both my brother and me when it came to Hockey. If it hadn't been me playing with the Ducks that was the problem I'm sure he would have found something else and I wouldn't have had anyone to help me out in that case."
"I'm sorry I even started this mess," I said when Adam had stopped speaking. "To tell you the truth I don't think that how I was feeling ever had anything to do with me actually thinking that it was Adam that was keeping the two of you apart. That was just an easy excuse for how I really felt. I was jealous of Adam."
"Jealous of me?" Adam said incredulously.
"Yeah its not that hard to be jealous of someone who on the surface seems to have everything," I told him. "You're family is rich, you lived in a mansion, hockey seems to come naturally to you when I have to work at it, and at first glance you seem to have the perfect normal family, two parents and a brother."
"My family is far from perfect," Adam said.
"Yeah, I'm starting to see that now," I told him. "And then you moved in with Coach Bombay and I guess I was jealous of that. I guess I felt as though you were taking my place with Coach Bombay."
"Charlie no one could take you're place. You and I have a special relationship. The relationship I have with Adam is completely different but its no more or less important to me."
"If it helps there have been times that I've been jealous of you too," Adam said from beside me. It was a admission which shocked me.
"What could possibly make you jealous of me?" I asked him
"You're outgoing. You have no problem sticking up for yourself and others. You're a natural leader. Why do you think the other Ducks look up to you and follow your lead even off the ice."
"I never really thought about it," I told him honestly but starting to see his point. I would definitely not have used the word outgoing to describe Adam. "Sometimes following me isn't exactly the brightest thing to do," I said thinking about what a jerk I had been at the beginning of the school year.
"Did you ever hear the word smart come out of my mouth," Adam said with a smile on his face. I picked up a nearby pillow and hit him with it although I was smiling too. His comment definitely lighten the mood in the room momentarily which was a good thing. After we all stopped laughing my Mom finally took her turn to say what was on her mind.
"Adam, I just want you to know that the only reason I didn't offer to take you in when you showed up at our house back at Thanksgiving was simply the lack of room. That arrangement wouldn't have worked for anyone so I have no problem with having you as part of our family when Gordon and I get married. And I also want you to know that I'm not going to try to take anyone's place but I hope in time we can at the very least be friends. You won't be being disloyal to anyone by letting yourself become a part of a new family," my mom told him. I saw Adam nod slightly at her words. Adam didn't really know my Mom that well even though we had been friends for four years and I knew Adam didn't let people get close to him easily. From her words I think my mom realized that.
"Casey and I have been discussing this Adam, and we both agree that it would be best to let you set the pace. For this to work you need to feel comfortable with it because the three of us already are comfortable with the idea. If you want us to wait so you can get use to the idea then we'll wait to actually get married."
"No, don't wait on my account. I'll adjust to it. It may be hard at first but I'll adjust," Adam said and I couldn't help but think that he was a much stronger person than me. Put in his place I think I would've wanted them to wait for a little while.
"Are you sure?" Gordon asked. "After everything you've been through..."
"I'm sure," Adam said cutting him off. "I think actually it would be better that way. I think if I get to use to it being just Gordon and me then it'll be harder getting use to two more people around."
"Okay," Gordon said. "Anyone else want to add anything else?" he asked. We all shook our heads no. "Then how about we order pizza. I know I'm getting hungry."
And so we did. After our pizza dinner Adam went to bed. He looked dead on his feet by this time. My Mom, Coach Bombay and I ended up talking some more in the kitchen and before long we were discussing ideas for the wedding. I personally couldn't wait to start telling the others.
Adam's POV:
Man I hated being sick, I thought to myself as I went into my room and laid on the bed. I've always been an active kid. Always keeping busy. Now the most simplest everyday thing would wear me out.
And I had just found out that I had two finals that I would probably have to retake when I finally got to go back to school. My mom had stopped by to tell me about that. She and Gordon had just come from meeting with Dean Buckley. Apparently I hadn't done so great on some of the other finals but the math and history were really bad. Which I kind of figured they would be as I didn't finish a lot on the questions on either one of them. Both my Mom and Gordon had told me not to worry about the finals, that everything would work out. I just wished I could take their advice. As soon as my Mom had left I had retreated in here.
I glanced over at my desk where my schoolbooks sat in a pile. Just looking at them right now made me feel worn out. Today was Wednesday. School was starting in six days but as of right now I didn't even know if I would be able to go back to school then. I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and I'd find out then.
I tried to forget about school but when I did I found myself thinking about my other problems. I still couldn't forget Charlie's words at the pond last week -"And you're keeping my mom and Coach Bombay apart. I wish you weren't even in the picture. You're ruining everything." Was he right?
I had come to stay with Gordon because I had managed to screw things up with my family. Hell, how many fifteen year olds managed to get their own father to disown them. Not too many. I should've just gone along with what he wanted and not played hockey for the rest of this season. Hockey hadn't been much fun here recently anywhere. It had seemed like no matter how hard I tried it hadn't been good enough for Dad. Maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was. Maybe I should just do what Anthony had done and picked something else for a career. And who knows, maybe if I wasn't staying with Gordon, he and Ms. Conway would be busy planning a wedding, Charlie wouldn't be mad at me for messing things up. Something that I knew he really wanted - a real family. Just because I screwed things up with my family what right did I have to screw that up for Charlie.
A knock at my door interrupted my thoughts.
"Yeah," I called out not moving from the bed. I really didn't have the energy right now to move.
The door opened and Gordon put his head in. "I'm getting ready to start dinner. Anything in particular you wanted me to make?"
"No it doesn't matter," I told him.
With a shrug he started closing the door. As he did I finally got up the nerve to say what I've been wanting to say for the last couple of days. "Gordon, I think I want to go back home," I said quickly before I could chicken out. Gordon opened the door and immediately came into the room.
"Is that what you really want?" he asked me.
"Yeah," I said looking at the wall and not him.
"I don't believe you Adam," Gordon said quietly. "What's really going on?" he asked. With a sigh I sat up on the side of the bed and he sat down next to me.
"I just don't think this arrangement is working out. I think it would be better if I was with my family," I told him. Sure, I'd be a stranger in my own house but I won't be ruining things for other people, I added silently to myself.
"Is it something that I've said or done?" Gordon asked. I shook my head no. "Have you talked to your Dad lately?" Again I shook my head no. I had no intentions of talking to him ever again unless he made the first move. "Then I can't in good conscious let you go back, Adam. You ran away because of how things were there and if nothing has changed with your Dad then I know you're going to be no happier there then before."
"But me being here is ruining things for you," I said quickly.
"Adam, what are you talking about?" Gordon asked sounding confused.
"Its something Charlie said at the pond," I said and immediately noticed a look of understanding finally cross his face but he didn't say anything, just let me continue. "He said that I was keeping you and his mom apart. I don't want to do that. Its not fair to any of you."
"Adam, you being here is not keeping Casey and I apart. Yes it changes things, may make things a little more complicated but that doesn't mean I don't want you here."
"Really?" I asked him not exactly convinced.
"Really," he told me putting his arm around my shoulder. "Adam, we've already told Charlie this and I was waiting to tell you but I think I put it off too long. Casey and I are engaged. We are going to get married but I wanted to put off telling you and Charlie so that you could get more adjusted to being here. I didn't want to disrupt things on you again. Charlie overheard part of my conversation with Casey on that topic and jumped to the wrong conclusion. I don't think I have to tell you that Charlie has wanted me and his mom to get together for years and he got angry when he thought that it was going to fall through again. I don't think he was ever really mad at you but you were the easiest target. I'm not trying to defend what he did just explain things," Gordon said.
I just nodded again. I didn't know what to say. Gordon waited a few moments, probably waiting to see if I would say anything and then he told me, "I'm going to call Casey and see if she and Charlie can come over at some point tonight. I think all four of us need to sit down and talk about this," he said standing up. "You going to be okay."
"Yeah," I told him.
"Okay," he said leaving my room and leaving me alone with my thoughts again. I laid back down and tried to sort out exactly what I was feeling about everything that was going on.
Charlie's POV:
After the game at the pond Fulton and I had walked to his house together. I ended up hanging out at his house longer than I originally planned as I walked back to my apartment building I knew I was already late for dinner. My mom was not going to be happy as this was one of the nights that she didn't work and we could actually have dinner together.
I took the steps up to my apartment two at a time. I opened the door to the apartment calling out, "Sorry I'm late."
I had been expecting to find my mom waiting impatiently for me, dinner already done and the dinning room table already set. Instead I found my mom sitting on the couch. The dinning room and kitchen were both dark.
"Charlie, I'm glad you're finally home," she said standing up. I was starting to worry. Something wasn't right. I wanted to ask what was wrong but decided not to interrupt her. "Gordon called. He wants you and me to come over so we can all talk about things," my mom told me.
"Adam started to ask questions about what I said at the pond didn't he?" I asked although I already knew the answer. Why else would Coach Bombay be so insistent that we all talk.
"Not directly," my mom told me. "Seems he told Gordon that he wanted to go back to his family and when Gordon questioned him about it he found out that Adam only wanted to go back because he didn't want to ruin things between me and Gordon. Gordon's already told him that we're engaged and that he is still welcomed but he wants us all to talk things out."
"I'm sorry Mom," I told her. I couldn't help but feel like this whole mess was my fault.
"It's okay Charlie," she said. "Why don't we just head over to Gordon's and we can get this straightened out completely."
"Okay," I said. I waited for her to put her coat on as I still had mine on and then we headed out to the car together.
You know, there was plenty of times that I imagined how my mom and Coach Bombay would finally get together. Yes, even when she had gotten remarried during the short time that Coach Bombay had been playing minor league hockey, I had never given up on my fantasy of them getting together. I had come up with many scenarios but this had never been one of them. As far as I had known Adam had always had the perfect family life. I had never realized how bad his relationship with his father had been. And Adam being Adam had never volunteered the information. I was starting to wonder if this would ever work out. This whole situation was starting to remind me of a jigsaw puzzle. We were trying to fit the pieces together but would they ever go together. Did we have all the pieces. Could the four of us actually become a family or was it all just wishful thinking.
My mom and I didn't talk much on the drive over to Bombay's place. I figured she was probably thinking about things like I had been. Was she having the same thoughts? Was she starting to have her doubts to? I didn't dare ask. I didn't want to know the answer.
Gordon's POV:
I looked at the clock again. I thought about calling Casey again and see what was keeping her but I knew the answer. Charlie had been out with his friends. Casey had said they would be over as soon as he got home. But it was starting to get late. Shouldn't he have been home by now?
Just then I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed to answer it and was glad to see Casey and Charlie when I opened the door. It seemed like ever since the beginning I had messed this relationship up. First, I had been a jerk of a coach. Then once Casey had started to accept me I got off to join the minors which still wouldn't have been bad if maybe I had written or called while I was gone. I came back to find out that she had remarried. We still had remained friends and when she had told me that her marriage to Al wasn't going to well I thought maybe I would have a second chance. But I was messing my second chance up almost as bad. Although this time I did have help. I wasn't going to give up on this though. I'd make this work no matter how long it took. Make it work out for all four of us.
"Come on in," I said to Casey and Charlie ushering them into the apartment. I took their coats from them and asked, "Can I get you anything to eat or drink." I had long forgotten about making dinner. All I wanted to do was get things sorted out. They must have felt the same way because they both refused.
"I'll go get Adam," I told them and headed toward his room. I didn't bother to knock because I knew from checking on him earlier that he had fallen asleep. I walked over to his bed and gently shook his shoulder.
"Adam," I said softly. "They're here," I told him when he opened his eyes. "You feel up to this?" I asked him. His eyes looked a little red and puffy like he had ended up crying himself to sleep.
"Yeah," he said sitting up. "I'll be right there," he told me.
"Okay," I said and went back into the living room to wait with Casey and Charlie.
Charlie's POV:
Gordon came back out of Adam's room a few minutes later and sat down in the arm chair next to the couch where my mom and I was sitting. No one said anything. Shortly after that Adam came out of his room and sat down on the couch beside me. He looked worn out and his eyes looked red and puffy like he had been crying. I wanted to say something to him but I didn't know what to say.
I saw my mom and Coach Bombay exchange glances and then with a slight nod Coach Bombay was the one who started the conversation.
"This was not how we had planned on telling you kids but it happened and its no one's fault," he said looking at me. I still couldn't help but feeling a little bit guilty. "I think now we just need to figure out how to proceed from here and I think the best way for us to do that is to make sure all of us know how the others feel about what's going on."
Coach Bombay looked around at all of us. I know I nodded and I could see Adam nod beside me. I couldn't see my mom's reaction but I think she was probably willing to go along with whatever Coach Bombay said at this point. I know I was.
"Let me start things out," Coach said continuing. "I love Casey. I have since I met her and now that I've gotten my second chance to make things work I'm not going to mess it up this time but Adam I also care about you. In a way I feel like everything that has been happening to you lately with your father is partly my fault. Maybe I never should've pointed out that you should've been playing for district five back then but at the time I never dreamed it would have come to this. Until your father comes around I can't, with a good conscious let you go back there because I know, no matter what you say, that it isn't what you want. If it was you never would have run off that night."
"I'm glad you pointed out to the league that the line changes put me in district five," Adam said from beside. "Maybe I should've have said so years ago but it just never seemed to come up. Playing for the Ducks was the best thing that ever happened to me. Yeah, it was hard at first but in the long run I made better friends on the this team than I ever had on the Hawks. Sure we've had our problems but in the end they were there for me when I needed them. They became my friends because of who I am not because our families were in the same circles or because my family had money. In fact, I'd have to say they became my friends in spite of the fact my family has money," Adam said.
That last comment brought a smile to my face. I couldn't help it. Most of us Ducks have always been vocal about our thoughts about rich people, especially me. And at the beginning that was one of the biggest problems we had with Banks. His family was rich. Then we got to know him. Sure, I still go off on my tangents about people who I think are preppy snobs (that little bit has been getting plenty of use at Eden Hall) but I don't even think of Adam as belonging in that group anymore. He's different. He judges people based on who they are. The only thing I ever found annoying about him was that he took his family being rich for granted. He didn't flaunt it, its just that was how he grew up. It was what he knew.
"As for my Dad," Adam said continuing, "he has always pushed both my brother and me when it came to Hockey. If it hadn't been me playing with the Ducks that was the problem I'm sure he would have found something else and I wouldn't have had anyone to help me out in that case."
"I'm sorry I even started this mess," I said when Adam had stopped speaking. "To tell you the truth I don't think that how I was feeling ever had anything to do with me actually thinking that it was Adam that was keeping the two of you apart. That was just an easy excuse for how I really felt. I was jealous of Adam."
"Jealous of me?" Adam said incredulously.
"Yeah its not that hard to be jealous of someone who on the surface seems to have everything," I told him. "You're family is rich, you lived in a mansion, hockey seems to come naturally to you when I have to work at it, and at first glance you seem to have the perfect normal family, two parents and a brother."
"My family is far from perfect," Adam said.
"Yeah, I'm starting to see that now," I told him. "And then you moved in with Coach Bombay and I guess I was jealous of that. I guess I felt as though you were taking my place with Coach Bombay."
"Charlie no one could take you're place. You and I have a special relationship. The relationship I have with Adam is completely different but its no more or less important to me."
"If it helps there have been times that I've been jealous of you too," Adam said from beside me. It was a admission which shocked me.
"What could possibly make you jealous of me?" I asked him
"You're outgoing. You have no problem sticking up for yourself and others. You're a natural leader. Why do you think the other Ducks look up to you and follow your lead even off the ice."
"I never really thought about it," I told him honestly but starting to see his point. I would definitely not have used the word outgoing to describe Adam. "Sometimes following me isn't exactly the brightest thing to do," I said thinking about what a jerk I had been at the beginning of the school year.
"Did you ever hear the word smart come out of my mouth," Adam said with a smile on his face. I picked up a nearby pillow and hit him with it although I was smiling too. His comment definitely lighten the mood in the room momentarily which was a good thing. After we all stopped laughing my Mom finally took her turn to say what was on her mind.
"Adam, I just want you to know that the only reason I didn't offer to take you in when you showed up at our house back at Thanksgiving was simply the lack of room. That arrangement wouldn't have worked for anyone so I have no problem with having you as part of our family when Gordon and I get married. And I also want you to know that I'm not going to try to take anyone's place but I hope in time we can at the very least be friends. You won't be being disloyal to anyone by letting yourself become a part of a new family," my mom told him. I saw Adam nod slightly at her words. Adam didn't really know my Mom that well even though we had been friends for four years and I knew Adam didn't let people get close to him easily. From her words I think my mom realized that.
"Casey and I have been discussing this Adam, and we both agree that it would be best to let you set the pace. For this to work you need to feel comfortable with it because the three of us already are comfortable with the idea. If you want us to wait so you can get use to the idea then we'll wait to actually get married."
"No, don't wait on my account. I'll adjust to it. It may be hard at first but I'll adjust," Adam said and I couldn't help but think that he was a much stronger person than me. Put in his place I think I would've wanted them to wait for a little while.
"Are you sure?" Gordon asked. "After everything you've been through..."
"I'm sure," Adam said cutting him off. "I think actually it would be better that way. I think if I get to use to it being just Gordon and me then it'll be harder getting use to two more people around."
"Okay," Gordon said. "Anyone else want to add anything else?" he asked. We all shook our heads no. "Then how about we order pizza. I know I'm getting hungry."
And so we did. After our pizza dinner Adam went to bed. He looked dead on his feet by this time. My Mom, Coach Bombay and I ended up talking some more in the kitchen and before long we were discussing ideas for the wedding. I personally couldn't wait to start telling the others.